BILLINGS — The city of Billings is looking to sell 11 undeveloped plots of land in an effort to boost infrastructure.
Each plot varies in size and City Council member Mike Boyett said he'd like to see the land used for housing or parks. Currently, all 11 are empty.
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Among the land being discussed is the Lampman Park off of Monad Road on the city's west end. For decades, Mark Polen said the land has remained untouched near his family home across the street, despite housing sprouting up around the area.
"My grandparents bought this area in, I believe it was 62 or 63," Polen said Sunday afternoon. "I've seen it develop from absolutely nothing on this end of town."
Polen said the lot may be undeveloped, but it still serves a purpose for the community.
"This lot right here has not been developed as a park yet, but you'd be surprised at how many people take their dogs and walk them right there everyday," Polen said.
Another lot being discussed is Ramada Park, located on Ramada Drive. It's a much smaller space than Lampman, but residents in the area told MTN off camera that it is used by many in the community and that they don't want to see it go.
City Council Member Mike Boyett sees both areas differently. He said the undeveloped lots are being wasted and that selling them could benefit the city's infrastructure.
"This is dirt. This is plain old dirt," Boyett said. "They call it a park. What else would you call it? City dirt or city park? It's just land that no one else is using for anything."
Boyett said that selling these properties could help the city in a variety of ways.
"I'd like to put it back on the tax roll," Boyett said. "I'd like to have some more infrastructure built and I'd like to get it away from the city's responsibility of having to maintain this dirt."
Polen questioned where the money from any sale would go. He also said that Lampman Park was donated by the Lampman family to the city with the expectation that it would be used for park space in the future.
"What're they going to do with this money? When they sell all these properties, where does that money go?" Polen said.
Boyett said he would like to see the proceeds go back into the parks fund and be used to improve existing parks and facilities.
"I think we should maintain the properties that we have and most people we've talked with, they want to maintain the parks we currently have and make them better than they are," Boyett said.
Still, Polen said the idea of selling land that was given to the city remains difficult to accept.
"The thought of them, the city thinking okay let's just sell it now. Who takes the money?" Polen said. "I mean the park was given to them. I just hate to see it be developed."
